Grain puffing machine



Feb. 28, 1939. I A 2,149,156

GRAIN PUFFING MACHINE Filed 001:. 2'7, 1936 3 Sheets- Sha er. 1

INVENTOR Feb. 28, 1939. I B E I 2,149,156

I GRAIN PUFFING MACHINE Filed Oct. 27, 1936 s sheets-sheet 2 INVENTCIDREL.B0LZZee BY @W g,.mm

ATTORNEY Feb; 28, 1939. E. 1.. BATTEE 2,149,156

GRAIN PUFFING MACHINE Filed 0C1.- 27, 1956 s Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR BYQ I a ATTORNEY ELBazzee I Patented Feb. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE GRAIN PUFFING MACHINE Elvin L. Battee, Oakland, Calif.Application October 2'1, 1936, Serial No. 107,818

8 Claims.

This invention relates to grain pufling machines or ovens, my mainobjects being to provide a machine which will pufi grains quicker andmore evenly than is possible with the ordinary ma- 5 chines so that itis capable of a greater output in a given period of time; one in whichthe oven door is quickly and easily opened and closed and which isprovided with a shock absorbing device to prevent possible damage to thedoor and mal. chine when suddenly released; one in .which the oven willentirely and quickly discharge the puffed grains; and one which iscompact and sturdy, and has no parts liable to give trouble or get outof order. I

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposefor which it is designed. v

These objects I accomplish by means of such 20 structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims. I

i In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views: Figure l is a side elevation of the machine,showing the oven. in an upright or loading position but with the doorclosed and locked.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the oven inverted or in dischargeposition and with the door 3 1). open.

Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the shock absorbing device for thedoor. 35- Figure 5 is an inner face view of one of the burner andbearing units detached.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the machine comprises an oven i of substantially cylindricalinterior fornr and relatively narrow from side to side, the sidesrounding into the circumferential surface of the oven so as to avoid theformation of any sharp corners. The oven has a circular mouth 2 disposedradially thereof; the diameter of the 4; mouth-being substantially thesame as the width of the oven so as to merge into the adjacent wallsthereof as shown in Fig. 3; the circular interior wall of the oven onopposite sides terminating in substantially tangential surfacesconverging to 50 the corresponding sides of the mouth as indicated at lin Fig. 1. By reason of this form of oven, it

will be evident that an entirely unobstructed dischar e from the samewill be had when themouth is inverted, insuring a rapid and completedisit. charge of. the. contents and preventing any grain Figure 3 is atransverse section on line 3-3 of I being left in the oven to minglewith a subsequent charge.

Projecting from the opposite sides of theoven are trunnions l,concentric with the circular portion of the oven. The trunnions projectthrough 5, bearing boxes -mounted on longitudinal supporting frames 6;the boxes having roller bearings I engaging the trunnions. Bothtrunnions are bored as at 8 to communicate with the interior of theoven; the bore of one trunnion leading to 10 a safety valve 9 and thebore of the other trunnion leading to a spring passage coil ill securedat one end on the outer end of the trunnion and at its other end beingconnected to a pressure gauge 1 I. This spring or flexible mounting'ofthe gauge is an important feature since it absorbs the shocks whichwould otherwise be imparted to the gauge with the sudden release of thepressure from the oven as the door (later described) is thrown open, andwhich would damage the sensitive gauge mechanism.

A belt pulley I2 is mounted on one trunnion, which is adapted tobeconnected to any suitable source of power so that the oven may berotated at a desired speed.

The oven mouth 2 is provided about the top with a depressed band l3 oflead or the like, which forms a sealing seat or gasket for the rimflange of a circular lid or door 14. This door is centrally and swivellysuspended from a screw stem, I5. This stem projects through and isaxially adjustable in one arm l6 of a bell crank lever L. This arm:extends over the lid in a plane at right angles to the axis of thetrunnions, and the stem engages the arm intermediate its ends. At oneend, the

'arm is pivoted as at l1 between ears l8integral with the oven at thetop and beyond mouth 2, and at its opposite endis formed with a catchtongue l9.

The tongue is adapted to be engaged on the 40 face thereof opposite theoven by a cooperating catch element 20 formed on the adjacent end of anarm 2|. This arm is pivoted as at 22 intermediate its ends butrelatively close to the catch element between cars 23 integral with theoven on the opposite side of the mouth from cars i8. At its outer end,the arm is pivotally connected to one end of links 24, normally disposedsubstantially at right angles to the arm. At their oppo-' site end, thelinks are connected to the adjacent end of an operaing lever 25, whichis pivoted intermediate its ends as at 26 between ears 21 integral withthe oven adjacent the bottom.

The catch arm, links and lever are arranged so that when the catch armis engaged with the tongue it, the end lever ore in longitudinal deadcenter alinement and the links are or course under compression. Uponmoving the outer end of lever 25 in the direction oi the bottom of theoven, the dead center elinem'ent of the lever and links is of coursebroken. This movement of the lever, it carried out to the extent shownin Fig. 2, swings the catch orm 2i so that the catch element 2t) thereonis moved cleer oi the tongue it], allowing the latter to swing away fromthe oven and the lid to open. in sctuol operation, due to the pressuregenerated within the oven by the pufing and expansion oi the grains, itis only necessary i'or the operator to merely move the lever sufilcientto force-ls its deed center olinenient with the links. The ovenpressure, acting on the arm it through the lid to swing said ornioutwordly, is sumcient to then further turn the catch arm iii to crelease position.

The door when thus suddenly released and opened then of course tends torebound violently. l have therefore provided means to absorb this shock.Such means is in the form of e. hydraulic cylinder ill-pivoted adjacentthe bottom as at it on the oven adjacent the bottom thereof in opposedrelation to the operating lever.

A piston 3i) having a bleed passage 3!] there= through (see Fig. 4) isconnected to a. piston rod 32 which projects from the opposite or topend of the cylinder through a. poclziiig'glond to a. connection with theouter end oi the other arm its on? the bell cronls lever L. Grooves Elliare provided along the interior wolh of the cylinder which decrease indepth from the upper or packing gland end down, to e. tection somedistance from the bottom of the cylinder as shown in Fig, i. This unitis arranged so that when the oven lid is closed, the piston is adjacentthe top of the cylinder, where the grooves are deepest; the cylinderheing filled with oil or similar liquid. When the lid opens and the bellcrank lever turns, the piston rod is moved toward the bottom or" thecylinder without much resistance at first, since the oil can freelyby-pass the piston through the grooves. By the time the lid reaches thefully open position where it is entirely clear of the path of matterdischarging from the oven mouth, and as shown in Fig. 2, the piston isadjacent the bottom of the cylinder beyond the grooves 3 3. Returnmovement of the lid is thus retarded, since the oil can then onlyby-pass through the bleed passage 38, and as a result the lid tends toremain in its fully open position.

In order to enable the lid to be closed when desired without having toforce the oil through the relatively small bleed passage and grooves, iprovide a. relatively large volve controlled bypass conduit 35,connected tothe cylinder adjacent the top and bottom and located on theoutside of the same.

in order to substantially balance the weight of the lid and associatedparts, counterbalance weights to are provided about the bottom of theoven; these weights being transversely spaced as shown in Fig.3 in orderto allow the operating lever 25 to project therebetween when the door isfully open.

To insure even heating of all the grains in the oven as the latterrotates, I mount gas burners on both sides of the some. Each burnerincludes a cylindrical hood 31 formed with the adjacent bearing box 5,the inner open edge of the hood flange cooperating with a circularflange 38 on the oven to form a. substantially gastlght outlet vent illleads from thehcod adjacent the top. it may here he noted that iconteinplcte using the heat from the spent irons the vent as e. moonsfor preheating the to be prided, thereby cutting down the time grainsmust he left in the oven.

In operation, when it is deemed to fill the oven, it is disposed in anupright position, the

lid is opened and the groin to the requisite amount is poured in. Thelid is then closed and locked, and the oven is rotated. Thisrotstion ofcourse continuously tbles the shout, and as it tumbles, it is subjectedto the hes-st opplied by the burners to the oven on both sides thereofand over substantially its entire ores.

Due to this heating oi practically the entire oven arcs. and to therelative nsrrowness oi the oven, all the grain is quickly end thoroughlyhosted end puffed. As a. result, not only is the groin more rapidlypulled than is ordinarily we case,

Kill

giving m machine a large potentinl output in a. given time, but oil thegrs ore subjected to practically the some degree oi hoot, gl 9. productoi very uniform uality.

When the pumng operation is completed, the oven is halted in an invertedposition. Tins places the operating lever in on upwerdly projectingposition, where it is convenient for the operator to import the initiallocls reiensing movement thereto in the direction oi the oven.

The door then suddenly files open due to pressure within the oven espreviously described,

and is held in on open position by the shock ebsorber unit;

The grain then completely dischorges it the oven, due to the absence ofany s oor-= ners or obstructing ledges therein as previously explained.The oven is then turned to on up right positionwith the door still openr ior reloading.

The pressure gauge Ii, by means of web the operator can determine theconditions within oven, being mounted axially of the oven and entirelyclear of the some and its WM 8, is always exposed where it may be rec.observed.

Ztrom the foregoing description it will be reed= ily seen that l haveproduced such o device as substantially fulfills the objects or theinventi as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form odeparture from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by 99. FOODS AND BEVERAGES games-mounted in fixedrelation with the bearings I element on the last named arm being thenoutconcentric with the trunnions and applied to said wardly of the othercatch element, and manually opposed walls.

2. A grain pufllng machine comprising an enclosed oven forming apressure-tight pufflng chamber, trunnions rigid with and projecting fromopposed walls of the oven, bearings in which said trunnions are turnablysupported, means applied to one trunnion to rotate the same, circularfixed hoods concentric with the trunnions disposed on opposite sides ofthe oven, circular flanges projecting from the opposed walls of the ovenand cooperating with the adjacent edge of the hoods to form, with saidoven walls and hoods, enclosed heating chambers, and heating meansdisposed in said chambers.

3. A structure as in claim 2, in which said heating means comprises gasburners provided with a plurality of jet openings disposed in facingrelation to the enclosed oven walls and surrounding the trunnions.

4. A structure as in claim 2, in which the peripheral wall of the ovenis mainly concentric with the oven and the flanges are disposedoutwardly of said concentric wall portion whereby to include saidperipheral wall as a part of the heating chamber.

5. Holding means for the pivoted lid of a grain puffing oven comprisingan arm extending over the lid and from which the latter depends, meanspivoting the arm at one end on the oven to one side of the mouth, acatch arm pivoted intermediate its ends on the oven on the opposite sideof the mouth; the adjacent ends of the arms forming catch elementsadapted to overlap in cooperating relationship when the lid is closedand the catch operable means to turn the catch arm sumciently.

to move the catch element thereon clear of thepath of rotation of thecatch element on the first named arm and normally functioning to preventpressure in the oven acting on the lid and first named arm and tendingto swing the latter outwardly, from turning the catch arm to such clearposition.

6. A structure as in claim 5, in which said manually operable meanscomprises a link pivoted at one end on the outer end of the catch arm,and a hand lever pivoted intermediate its ends on the opposite end ofthe link and pivoted intermediate its ends on the oven; said lever andlink being longitudinally alined when the catch elements are engaged.

'7. A grain pumng machine comprising an enclosed pufiing oven havingopposed end walls, means mounting the oven for rotation about its axis,and gas burners mounted in fixed position beyond said end walls anddisposed concentric with the oven, said burners being provided with aplurality of jet openings disposed in facing relation to said walls.

8. In a grain pufling oven having a mouth, a hinged lid for the mouthand releasable catch means to hold the lid closed, shock absorbing meansapplied to the lid and including a hydraulic cylinder mounted on theoven and a piston therein connected to the lid, there being a fluidbleed passage bypassing the piston, a relatively large conduit tappingthe cylinder adjacent its ends, and a manual control valve in saidconduit.

ELVIN L. BA'I'IEE.

